St Saviour, Mellor Brook - Church of England

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Church History

It was founded in 1824 and closed in 1869.

On the 24th June 1823, an indenture was made between Thomas Turner and his wife Mary,
both from Balderstone, and William Eccles of Blackburn. This indenture was for a parcel
of land in Balderstone at a yearly rental of £3-2s-10d, the lease to last for 2,000 years.

By November of the same year, Mr William Eccles assigned this plot of land to the following
group of gentlemen, namely:-

- who wished to build a Chapel to be used for Divine Worship according to the doctrine
and practice of protestant Dissenters and who claimed the principles of being Independents.

The Independents remained in the premises till circa 1830/1831; after which the premises
lay dormant for two years until 1833 when it was purchased by members of the Church of England.
The purchasers being the Lord Bishop of Chester, the Vicar of Blackburn and the
Reverend William Hartley of Balderstone. The property at this stage was bought for £110 plus
the residue of the original 2,000 year lease from 1823 plus rent.

By the following year a circular was issued stating that it was proposed to use the premises
as a licensed place of worship, and on week-days as a school, and invited and obtained
subscriptions to cover the cost of the purchase and that of repairing and altering the
building for these purposes.

By now the premises was known as St Saviours Chapel, Mellor Brook.

An elementary school was accordingly maintained in the building on week-days and religious
services maintained in it on Sundays until 1859, and at irregular intervals thereafter
until 1869.

During this period, 17 Oct 1863, an Indenture was made between Thomas Turner, joiner,
in the 1st part, Richard Blackshaw, Accrington, cab driver, Thomas Blackshaw,
Balderstone, cotton spinner, William Dewhurst, Ribchester, tailor and
his wife Mary in the 2nd part, and Robert Carr Radcliffe, Blackburn,
attorney of law in the 3rd part regarding the partitioning of the freehold
premises which included the land and the chapel, three days later Thomas
Blackshaw conveyed the ground rent on the same estate to William Baron,
innkeeper from Blackburn for £60. At this stage William Baron
had control over all of the ground rent on this parcel of land plus
hereditaments.

In 1869 the building was in a poor state of repair, and with the original trustees
all being dead, an application was made by the current vicar and a churchwarden
of Balderstone to the Charity Commissioners, who in turn appointed the
incumbent, Rev. Robert Rawstorne, and churchwardens of Balderstone as
trustees and established a scheme directing that the chapel building
should be used for the instruction of the neighbourhood poor.

Everything remained in force until 25th January 1893 when an Indenture was made
between James Richard Baron of 76 St Marys Road, Garston, pawnbroker
and William Baron, High Street, Golborne, Lancashire, pawnbroker in
the 1st part, Mary Baron, Back Oddfellow Street, Blackpool, widow in
the 2nd part and Rev. Robert Atherton Rawstorne, Vicar of Balderstone,
and Robert Carr Radcliffe, solicitor and John Fielding, Balderstone,
farmer (the later two being churchwardens of Balderstone), in the 3rd part.

William Baron formerly of Blackburn, innkeeper and late of 5 Back Oddfellow
Street, Blackpool and a fruitier at his death, bequeathed that his sons
the said Richard and William sole executors of his estate and that his
wife Mary should receive 8 shillings per week until her death. After
her death all estate had to be sold and divided equally between his
sons. William Baron died 18th June 1891 and his will was proved 8th
July 1892. At this stage the Vicar and Churchwardens of Balderstone
agreed with the said James Richard and William Baron the purchase of
the said annual rent and hereditaments for £85 and Mary Baron
agreed not to accept any further rental.

The property and land at this stage were conveyed to the vicar and Churchwardens
of Balderstone.

Meanwhile, three years earlier, in 1890, Rev. Rawstorne decided that he would
do something to alleviate the problem of boredom that was prevalent among
the young men of the community. At his own expense he purchased a two
room cottage and turned it into a Reading Room. It had been intended
that this room should be open for 9 months of the year, but its popularity
increased and before long it had attracted a membership of 50; gambling
was not allowed, and all members were expected to refrain from any form
of improper conduct and swearing. With the chapel now being in hands
of Balderstone Church and the Reading Room in need of extension due
to its ever increasing membership, Rev. Rawstorne again funded new premises
to encompass both a Reading Room and Recreation Room. He also presented
the now extended property with a billiard table providing that the membership
would bear the cost of heating, lighting and cleaning. This new extension
was opened on the 11th January 1895 and a stone over the upstairs window
still bears the date 1895.

On the 24th December of the same year, possibly to compensate for the land lost
in erecting the new property, Cecil William Montague Feilden of Witton
Park gave a parcel of land to the Incumbent and Churchwardens of Balderstone,
consisting of 360 superficial square yards, to be used as a playground
for Mellor Brook School.

Mellor Brook School remained as a Primary School for children up to the age of seven,
until 1962, when the Education Authority decided upon its closure. Being
the property of the Church, meetings were held regarding the future
of the building, and by October 1965 the idea of it becoming a Community
Centre had been forwarded. The Parochial Church Council of St Leonards,
Balderstone, at this stage authorised the vicar, Rev Norman Hodd, to
offer the building for sale to the Parish Councils of Balderstone and
Osbaldeston for £250. This offer was accepted, and by April 1966
agreement was reached and Mellor Brook Community Centre came into existence.

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